Tony Romo Has a Big Family Secret (Which Explains His Recent Flubs)

Dallas Cowboys fans rejoice! Tony Romo has let loose a secret that explains his lackluster performance this season. Even better, fans? He's given us a timeline on when it all will end.

Prepare to adjust your fantasy teams, folks, because Tony Romo's wife, Candice Crawford, ispregnant. He's going to be a dad in 2012. No wonder he's throwing interceptions like he needs a new pair of glasses. It sounds like he's got a big ol' case of pregnancy brain!

Now I know, Crawford is the one who is technically carrying the baby. And unlike the "is she or isn't she" pregnancy of Romo's ex-girlfriend, Jessica Simpson, that's a bona fide fact, confirmed by Romo himself to a group of kids at a high school near Dallas.

But in 2011, we know that dads aren't just sperm donors who stand back and let their wives take on all the stress of growing a baby. They're part of the action. They gain sympathy weight. They take on sympathy stress. Their self-esteem plummets as they debate whether or not they're really cut out to be a good dad. And their brains can take on a similar haze to that of a woman whose body is racked with hormones.

Put like that, and it's no wonder his game is suffering. It's also no wonder Cowboys' coach Jason Garrett is refusing to court rumors that he's having qualms about his go-to guy. Asked by ESPN just this week if he's losing faith in his QB, Garrett nipped the rumor in the bud. He says he has to do a better job of managing Romo.

Considering scientists tell us the best way to keep a dad on track during his partner's pregnancy is to provide him with a lot of support, Garrett might have just hit the key to salvaging the Cowboys' season. Give this daddy-to-be the sense that he's still valued and help bring down his stress level, and you could make him a good football player again.

And if that doesn't work, at least gestation is only nine months. There's always next season!